Investigation of Vortex Generator Enhanced Double-Fin and Tube Heat Exchanger

In the present work, a numerical analysis of conjugate heat transfer and fluid flow in vortex generator (VG) enhanced double-fin and tube heat exchanger is carried out. The enhanced design aims to improve the heat transfer performance of a conventional double-fin and tube heat exchanger for waste heat recovery applications. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is developed using ANSYS CFX to simulate fluid flow and conjugate heat transfer process. Numerical simulations with rectangular winglet vortex generators (RWVGs) at five different angles of attack (-20 deg <= alpha <= 20 deg) are performed for the Reynolds number range of 5000 <= Re <= 11; 000. Salient performance characteristics are analyzed in addition to the temperature distribution and flow fields. Based on the numerical results, it is concluded that the overall performance of the double-fin and tube heat exchanger can be improved by 27-91% by employing RWVGs at alpha = -20 deg for the range of Reynolds number investigated. The study provides useful design information and necessary performance data that can be adopted for the design development of the heat exchanger at a lower manufacturing cost.